Review: Ant-Man
Big things come in small packages, and Ant-Man is no exception. I have been waiting for Ant-Man for the better part of a decade, and I’m pleased to say that the latest offering from Marvel Studios is worth the wait. This pint-sized motion picture is fun, energetic and full of superhero charm.
Movie Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.
The only real complaint I have about Ant-Man is that it’s not great enough. In a day and age where we are surrounded by high quality superhero movies and TV shows, especially from Marvel, Ant-Man doesn’t immediately shoulder its way into the top of the pack. But is not being as good as the first Iron Man or Captain America: The Winter Soldier really a complaint?
As a more low key superhero adventure, Ant-Man delivers with humor, action and some pretty amazing special effects. His iconic shrinking super-powers are a sight to behold, and this movie definitely puts the ‘ant’ in Ant-Man. I’m talking insects. They may not be as immediately marketable as the Minions, but the insect armies in Ant-Man are just plain cool.
I kind of wish Ant-Man had taken a little more time to build up the personal relationships between it’s stellar cast — I knew Paul Rudd was perfect for the role! — but perhaps director Peyton Reed was shooting for a tighter movie. He succeeds, because there isn’t an ounce of Age of Ultron bloat in Ant-Man (though some of the Age of Ultron cameos are very exciting!).
Let’s hope the ants go marching one-by-one into the theaters this weekend to make Ant-Man another Marvel hit! Join me after the jump for my full review, which will contain some SPOILERS. So watch out!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 7/18/15
Ant-Man was awesome! I loved it! After all these years, I got to sit down in a theater and watch Ant-Man, and it lived up to all the glorious hype! Go see it! I’ll try to have my full review up later today.
As for comic books, we’ve got a great smattering of books this week. Comics like Kaijumax and Black Canary continue to impress, while Secret Six finally starts to feel like the old, beloved comic of yore. That’s a damn good thing. Lumberjanes and Harley Quinn continue their hot streaks, but there can be only one Comic Book of the Week.
Hawkeye #22 finally finishes off Matt Fraction’s now-legendary run!
That comic is all style, substance and so much more. I need to start buying those trades ASAP so I can sit down and re-read the whole thing over again.
Over at Word of the Nerd, I continue my Secret Wars coverage with a review of Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders #1. I was attracted to the comic because I’m a huge Faiza Hussain fan, but other than a spotlight for her awesomeness, the comic is middling at best — though if you’re a fan of Judge Dredd, it’s not to be missed.
Comic Reviews: Black Canary #2, Harley Quinn #18, Hawkeye #22, Kaijumax #4, Lumberjanes #16, Robin: Son of Batman #2, Secret Six #4 and Silver Surfer #13.
A Cinematic Robin has Been Confirmed!
Just not the one we’re hoping for.
Michael Cera has been cast as LEGO Robin in the upcoming LEGO Batman spin-off film. I’m fine with Michael Cera, and considering the tone they’re probably going for with a LEGO Batman movie, he’s probably the perfect bit of casting. I just hope they apply some legitimate cleverness to his character and dialogue instead of doing some wimpy Michael Cera riff.
He played Scott Pilgrim, after all…
The LEGO Batman movie will come out in February 2017. I loved The LEGO Movie as much as the next guy (perhaps even more so), but I’m not at all optimistic about the plethora of spin-offs and other attempts to cash in on the success. And does anybody else find it weird that the two guys behind The LEGO Movie, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, are being announced for EVERY movie coming out in the near future? It’s insane!
Still, at least we’ll get one Robin in an upcoming movie…
——————
Learn Everything There is to Learn About Ant-Man!
I’m gonna see Ant-Man soon! I’m so excited! I’ve been waiting for this movie for forever, and I hope it lives up to all of my hopes and dreams. But until then, let’s check out this fun superhero infographic, created by Halloweencostumes.com. Though it might be a little too confusing for people who don’t already know everything there is to know about Ant-Man, like me!
First Official Look at Apocalypse is Underwhelming and Blue
That great bastion of superhero reveals, Entertainment Weekly, has launched their cover piece on X-Men: Apocalypse, revealing the first official look at the titular villain. He’s big, he’s blue, but he’s also…underwhelming. Apocalypse has always been largely defined by his looks, especially that blue-lipped mug of his. But they’ve apparently decided to forgo those iconic lips for a normal, ordinary face.
I curse the god of Photoshop!
Magneto and Psylocke look pretty awesome, but Apoclaypse looks like a dude who doesn’t want to be in that picture.
Where’s the epic chin? Where’s the power and demeanor? What makes this guy so special? Ah, whatever, it’ll probably still be a good movie.
And if you want to see and learn more, you can check out this article in Entertainment Weekly for some plot info, and click here for some other hi-def pics. I’m only slightly disappointed that Multiple Man isn’t going to be in this one. He’ll get his due one of these days.
Oh, and I’ve posted the full magazine cover after the jump!
Henchman-4-Hire 